Andrea Binda beat Kaito Uesugi 7-6, 6-3 in Guangzhou, converting four break points to his opponent's three and winning 30 return points to 24. Binda also edged the serving numbers where it mattered, hitting six aces to three and taking 45% of his second-serve points against Uesugi's 32%.
The opening set swung repeatedly: Uesugi broke in game two at 0-2, Binda hit straight back in game three at 1-2 and again in game five at 3-2, only for Uesugi to level with a break at 5-5 in game ten. Binda settled it in the tiebreak, then survived another early exchange in the second set, where Uesugi broke in game one at 0-1 before Binda replied at 2-2 and 4-2. Uesugi got one back at 4-3, but Binda broke again at 5-3 to close it out.
Binda's return was the difference, particularly against the second serve: 15 of 22 second-serve return points won across the match, and he won 11 games in total to Uesugi's eight. Uesugi actually defended better under pressure, saving 7 of 11 break points to Binda's 1 of 4, but he could not convert that into a set.